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The Desire of Ages
providence of God had placed Jesus where He was; and He depended
on His heavenly Father for the means to relieve the necessity.
[369]
And when we are brought into strait places, we are to depend
on God. We are to exercise wisdom and judgment in every action
of life, that we may not, by reckless movements, place ourselves in
trial. We are not to plunge into difficulties, neglecting the means God
has provided, and misusing the faculties He has given us. Christ’s
workers are to obey His instructions implicitly. The work is God’s,
and if we would bless others His plans must be followed. Self cannot
be made a center; self can receive no honor. If we plan according
to our own ideas, the Lord will leave us to our own mistakes. But
when, after following His directions, we are brought into strait places,
He will deliver us. We are not to give up in discouragement, but
in every emergency we are to seek help from Him who has infinite
resources at His command. Often we shall be surrounded with trying
circumstances, and then, in the fullest confidence, we must depend
upon God. He will keep every soul that is brought into perplexity
through trying to keep the way of the Lord.
Christ has bidden us, through the prophet, “Deal thy bread to the
hungry,” and “satisfy the afflicted soul;” “when thou seest the naked,
that thou cover him,” and “bring the poor that are cast out to thy house.”
Isaiah 58:7-10
. He has bidden us, “Go ye into all the world, and preach
the gospel to every creature.”
Mark 16:15
. But how often our hearts
sink, and faith fails us, as we see how great is the need, and how small
the means in our hands. Like Andrew looking upon the five barley
loaves and the two little fishes, we exclaim, “What are they among so
many?” Often we hesitate, unwilling to give all that we have, fearing
to spend and to be spent for others. But Jesus has bidden us, “Give
ye them to eat.” His command is a promise; and behind it is the same
power that fed the multitude beside the sea.
In Christ’s act of supplying the temporal necessities of a hungry
multitude is wrapped up a deep spiritual lesson for all His workers.
Christ received from the Father; He imparted to the disciples; they
imparted to the multitude; and the people to one another. So all who are
united to Christ will receive from Him the bread of life, the heavenly
food, and impart it to others.
In full reliance upon God, Jesus took the small store of loaves; and
although there was but a small portion for His own family of disciples,